Oroumieh Lake, Iran's Largest, Turning To Salt

OROUMIEH LAKE, Iran (AP) -- From a hillside, Kamal Saadat looked forlornly at hundreds of potential customers, knowing he could not take them for trips in his boat to enjoy a spring weekend on picturesque Oroumieh Lake, the third largest saltwater lake on earth.

"Look, the boat is stuck... It cannot move anymore," said Saadat, gesturing to where it lay encased by solidifying salt and lamenting that he could not understand why the lake was fading away.

The long popular lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans and gulls, has shrunken by 60 percent and could disappear entirely in just a few years, experts say - drained by drought, misguided irrigation policies, development and the damming of rivers that feed it.

Until two years ago, Saadat supplemented his income from almond- and grape-growing by taking tourists on boat tours. But as the lake receded and its salinity rose, he found he had to stop the boat every 10 minutes to unfoul the propeller - and finally, he had to give up this second job that he'd used to support a five-member family.

"The visitors were not enjoying such a boring trip," he said, noting they had to cross hundreds of meters of salty lakebed just to reach the boat from the wharf.

Other boatmen, too, have parked their vessels by their houses, where they stand as sad reminders of the deep-water days. And the lake's ebbing affects an ever-widening circle.

In April, authorities stopped activities at the nearby jetty in Golmankhaneh harbor, due to lack of water in the lake, now only two meters deep at its deepest. Jetties in Sharafkhaneh and Eslami harbors faced the same fate.

The receding water has also weakened hotel business and tourism activities in the area, and planned hotel projects remain idle since investors are reluctant to continue.

Beyond tourism, the salt-saturated lake threatens agriculture nearby in northwest Iran, as storms sometimes carry the salt far afield. Many farmers worry about the future of their lands, which for centuries have been famous for apples, grapes, walnuts, almonds, onions, potatoes, as well as aromatic herbal drinks, candies and tasty sweet pastes.

"The salty winds not only will affect surrounding areas but also can damage farming in remote areas," said Masoud Mohammadian, an agriculture official in the eastern part of the lake, some 370 miles (600 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tehran.

Other officials echoed the dire forecast.

Salman Zaker, a parliament member for Oroumieh warned last month that, "with the current trend, the risk of a salt tsunami is increasing." Warning that the lake would dry out within three to five years - an assessment agreed to by the local environment department director, Hasan Abbasnejad - Zaker said eight to 10 billion tons of salt would jeopardize life for millions of people.

Masoud Pezeshkian, another lawmaker and representative for city of Tabriz in the eastern part of the lake said, "The lake has been drying but neither government nor local officials took any step, so far."

How did this disaster develop, and what can be done now?

Official reports blame the drying mainly on a decade-long drought, and peripherally on consumption of water of the feeding rivers for farming. They put 5 percent of the blame on construction of dams and 3 percent on other factors. Others disagree about the relative blame.

The first alarm over the lake's shrinking came in late 1990s amid a nagging drought.

Nonetheless, the government continued construction of 35 dams on the rivers which feed the lake; 10 more dams are on the drawing boards for the next few years.

Also completed was a lake-crossing roadway between Oroumieh and Tabriz, cities on the west and east of the lake. No environmental feasibility study was done in the planning for the road, and environmentalists believe the project worsened the lake's health by acting as a barrier to water circulation.

Nasser Agh, who teaches at Tabriz Sahand University, suggested miscalculations led to late reaction to save the lake. "Experts believed it would be a 10-year rotating drought, at first," he said. But long afterward, the drought still persists, with devastating effects.

In the early 2000s, academic research concluded that the lake could face the same destiny as the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which has been steadily shrinking since rivers that feed it were diverted by Soviet Union irrigation projects in 1960s. It is now less than one-tenth of its original size.

In April, the Iranian government announced a three-prong effort to save the lake: a cloud-seeding program to increase rainfall in the area, a lowering of water consumption by irrigation systems, and supplying the lake with remote sources of water.

Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh, vice-president to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in charge of environmental affairs, said the government approved the three-part approach.

Some experts termed the weather control portion of the program as only a "symbolic action" by government, saying the best answer would be to release more water currently being held back by dams. The evaporation rate has been three times the rainfall rate, making the rivers' historic role vital to sustaining the lake.

"The lake is in such a misery because of the dams," Ismail Kahram, a professor in Tehran Azad University and a prominent environmentalist, told The Associated Press. Three-fifths of the lake has dried up and salt saturation has reached some 350 milligrams per liter from 80 milligrams in 1970s, he said.

Kahram said the government should allow 20 percent of the water from the dams to reach the lake.

Mostafa Ghanbari, secretary of the Society for Savior of the Lake Oroumieh, believes transferring water from the Caspian Sea may be "the only way to save" the lake. But such a project would be ambitious, requiring the pumping of water some 430 miles (700 kilometers), from a body of water at considerably lower elevation.

In the green and beautiful city of Oroumieh, famous for peaceful coexistence between Azeri people, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians as well as Muslims and Christians, talk about the fate of the lake is common among ordinary people in teahouses and on the streets.

Many express happiness with the government decision to manipulate clouds in hopes of increasing rainfall.

"It is a good decision. Every evening I look at the dark clouds that are coming and I tell my family soon there will be rain," and on some nights there have been showers, said Masoud Ranjbar, a taxi driver.

However, Eskandar Khanjari, a local journalist in Oroumieh, called the cloud-seeding plan "a show." He said recent rainfall was only seasonal, as predicted by meteorologists.

Scoffing at the promises of officials and what he called "non-expert views," he said of efforts to save the lake: "It seems that people have only one way; to pray for rain."

Beyond the debates by national and local authorities some folks here suggest another way Oroumieh could be saved.

A local legend says wild purple gladiolas have had a miraculous role in doing just that. The flowers have grown every year for a thousand years in the spot where a princess of Oroumieh was killed as she warned the people of the city about an invading enemy.

As a recent sunset turned the lake golden, Kamal the boatman tried to find some hope in the returning blossoms.

"You see, still wild purple gladiolas are appearing in the spring," he said. "The city and its lake can eventually survive."

Assembly votes to prohibit sale of shark fins

The state Assembly came to the defense Monday of endangered sharks targeted by fishermen who amputate their fins then toss the live sharks back into the ocean.
The Assembly approved AB376, which bans the sale, trade or possession of shark fins, a delicacy that costs hundreds of dollars a pound and is used to create a soup that is popular among some Asians.
The bill passed 63-8 with bipartisan support and opposition. Its author, Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, and other supporters say the sharks are mutilated and the practice puts them at risk of extinction, which would wreak havoc on underwater ecosystems.
Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-Marin, who co-authored the bill, said shark populations have been on the decline for two decades.
"The science is unambiguous: Sharks are in trouble," he said.
Critics of the bill countered that there are sufficient federal protections in place.
Finning is illegal in U.S. waters, but lawmakers can do nothing about the practice in international waters. Huffman said that's why they went after the market for shark fins in California, which has the highest demand for shark fins outside Asia.
Oregon is taking up a similar measure, as is China, Huffman added.
Shark fin soup can cost $80 a bowl, while shark fins can sell for $600 a pound. Advocates say the finning industry kills 73 million sharks each year.
AB376 touches on a politically and culturally sensitive debate, because some Asian groups have been eating the soup for millennia to mark special occasions. The controversy has drawn the likes of Chinese basketball star Yao Ming to publicly support outlawing use of the fins.
Some opponents say said the legislation goes too far in dictating what Californians can eat.
"This bill would be the first bill to ban a California food product," said Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, who voted against it.
Others said the legislation doesn't go far enough, because the rest of the shark can still legally be sold in California if its fins are removed.
Fong responded that 95 percent of shark meat is worthless, so his bill focuses on the body part most coveted by fishermen.
He amended the bill last week to give businesses an extra year to comply, but Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, said it still hurts small business.
The legislation, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2013, now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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California Coastal Conservancy grants $2 million to Salt River project

5/20/11

The California Coastal Conservancy approved $2 million in grants for the Salt River restoration project Thursday, allowing decades of planning to commence later this summer.

First District Supervisor Jimmy Smith said the funding -- which consists of $1million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and $1 million from the conservancy's fund -- is one of the last pieces of the puzzle for the project.

”Today's decisions by the Coastal Conservancy puts us in the position to actually, physically work on the project, and that's a huge, huge step,” Smith said after a meeting at the conservancy's office in Oakland.

With the county's tightening budget, Smith said he and his wife decided to pay for their own travel expenses so that he could thank the conservancy governing board and its staff in person. The board also approved up to $315,000 in funding to acquire a 36-acre property for Martin Slough restoration work, and up to $15,000 for preliminary designs for the Big Lagoon County Park access enhancement project.

The Salt River project is being carried out by the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District, or HCRCD, and is estimated to cost between $12 million to $16 million.

According to a conservancy's staff report, the conservancy has been involved with the project since the late 1980s. The source of the conservancy's grant funding comes from Proposition 84 bond funding related to water quality and supply, as well as flood control, and river and coastal protection.

The project restores the Salt River channel, floodplain and marshland, while also managing the sediments gathered in the river bed.

If the Salt River is restored, it would also help move the water flow for Ferndale's wastewater treatment plant.

The first phase of the project, which involves wetland and upland restoration work on the 440-acre Riverside Ranch property and some channel excavation, is scheduled to begin late this summer and continue into next year. Phase two, which includes channel excavation and restoration, would begin in 2012.

Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project:

The project restores the Salt River channel, floodplain and marshland, while also managing the sediments gathered in the river bed. The first phase of the project, which involves wetland and upland restoration work on the 440-acre Riverside Ranch property and some channel excavation, is scheduled to begin late this summer and continue into next year. Phase two, which includes channel excavation and restoration, would begin in 2012.

Martin Slough restoration work:

Conservancy funding allows the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire a 36-acre property in the Elk River watershed for the purpose of protecting, restoring and enhancing wetlands, water quality and fish and wildlife habitat while protecting and enhancing coastal agriculture. The property, which is currently used for grazing, is located on Pine Hill Road at the confluence of Martin Slough and Swain Slough.

Big Lagoon access enhancement project:

The project aims to enhance public access at Big Lagoon County Park that will improve compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and reduce impacts to the Yurok Village site O-puyweg. Work will include campground improvements, the decommissioning of a road, trail creation and the installation of a boat wash station.

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Third of Tested Plastic Products Found to Leach Toxic Substances in Swedish Study

Many plastic products contain hazardous chemicals that can leach to the surroundings. In studies conducted at the University of Gothenburg, a third of the tested plastic products released toxic substances, including 5 out of 13 products intended for children.

"Considering how common plastic products are, how quickly the production of plastic has increased and the amount of chemicals that humans and the environment are exposed to, it is important to replace the most hazardous substances in plastic products with less hazardous alternatives," says Delilah Lithner of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

Plastics exist in many different chemical compositions and are widespread in the society and the environment. Global annual production of plastics has doubled over the past 15 years, to 245 million tonnes in 2008. The plastic polymers are not regarded as toxic, but there may be toxic residual chemicals, chemical additives and degradation products in the plastic products that can leach out as they are not bound to the plastic polymer. Plastics also cause many waste problems.

In her research, Lithner studied the toxicity of 83 randomly selected plastic products and synthetic textiles. The newly purchased products were leached in pure (deionised) water for 1-3 days. The acute toxicity of the water was then tested using water fleas (Daphnia magna).

"A third of all the 83 plastic products and synthetic chemicals that were tested released substances that were acutely toxic to the water fleas, despite the leaching being mild. Five out of 13 products that were intended for children were toxic, for example bath toys and buoyancy aids such as inflatable armbands," says Delilah Lithner.

The products that resulted in toxic water were soft to semi-soft products made from plasticised PVC or polyurethane, as well as epoxy products and textiles made from various plastic fibres. The toxicity was mainly caused by fat-soluble organic substances.

Lithner also studied the chemicals used to make around 50 different plastic polymers and has identified the plastic polymers for which the most hazardous chemicals are used. They were then ranked on the basis of the environmental and health hazard classifications that exist for the chemicals. Examples of plastic polymers made from the most hazardous chemicals are certain polyurethanes, polyacrylonitriles, PVC, epoxy and certain styrene copolymers. The results are of great benefit for further assessing environmental and health risks associated with plastic materials.

The thesis Environmental and health hazards of chemicals in plastic polymers and products was successfully defended in public on 6th May 2011.

The wetlands that time forgot

If Marin is to adapt to rising tide levels--we need a sea change in attitude

5/11/11

Wetlands and marshes, once dismissed as the province of nature enthusiasts and environmentalists, can be a key to protecting residents, development and commercial interests along the shores of San Francisco Bay.

"I look at tidal wetlands as about as close to magic as you're ever going to get when you're dealing with sea-level rise," says Will Travis, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. "All wetlands are wonderful for flood protection. They soak up floodwater and they absorb wave energy. And they actually sequester carbon. I know of nothing else that fits both categories: reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to the impacts of climate change that we can't reduce or eliminate."

A spate of recent reports places an increased emphasis on the importance of wetlands in the Bay Area, including Marin. The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association issued an assessment of the consequences of a rising sea level and concludes that elected officials, business leaders and residents should waste no time in hunkering down and to create concrete plans to meet the environmental, health and economic impacts of rising water levels and climate change. The report, titled "Climate Change Hits Home," emphasizes the critical need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Each time scientists assess the consequences of sea-level rise it seems to get increasingly dire, says Sam Schuchat, executive director of the California Coastal Conservancy and chair of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. Schuchat says implications of sea-level rise haven't hit home with most Bay Area residents--yet. "Flood control and sea-level rise are not things that (people) worry about, unless they live in a place like downtown Napa, where it floods." But, adds Schuchat, the consequences of sea-level rise, and recent reports that posit the levels may be rising higher than anticipated, are making a big impression on "people who think about this stuff all the time."

One of those recent reports comes from the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, the science body of the eight-nation Arctic Council; it estimated that the ice in Greenland and the Arctic is melting faster than anticipated and could play a crucial role in increasing the sea level by as much as five feet by the end of this century. In this updated assessment, using the latest research techniques, scientists predict that melting ice, including the massive Greenland ice sheet, could contribute to a sea-level rise that tops 35 to 63 inches by 2100. Add to that some recently reported findings from scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography who say that although California was spared from sea-level rise during recent decades stretching back to the 1970s, that reprieve may be finished.

Sea-level rise is far from uniform across the world's oceans. Wind patterns and ocean currents play a significant role in creating uneven sea levels. Wind affects upwelling in the ocean along the California coast, and that wind blows in cycles--called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. When the wind blows stronger, which it has since the mid-1970s, it creates a condition that allows cooler water to rise from the deep Pacific, ocean upwelling. When the wind pattern abates, the upwelling also abates and allows the upper-level ocean to warm. Warm water takes up more space than cold water--and that means the sea-level rises. The Scripps scientists say wind patterns look as though they may be shifting. If that happens, it could exacerbate the effects for California of the sea-level rise that the Arctic scientists predict.

This confluence of consequences has prompted the Conservation and Development Commission to take a new look at its San Francisco Bay Plan, which delineates policies for development along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay--including San Pablo Bay. The new guidelines will "take sea-level rise into account," according to Travis. In addition, the Conservation and Development Commission is working with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission "on a regional strategy that integrates greenhouse gas reduction and adaption to those impacts that we can't reduce or eliminate." ABAG chooses the board of the Restoration Authority, which currently has a North Bay vacancy following the death of Supervisor Charles McGlashan.

Much of the hard work to implement strategies to combat greenhouse gas and prepare for sea-level rise will take place in Bay Area counties, cities and towns. The participation of dozens of area agencies, local governments, businesses and residents would create a paradigm of regional planning. Nothing less is needed to prevent the impacts of sea-level rise from cutting into the quality of live and commerce in the Bay Area, say officials in the forefront of the effort. The immense scope of the effort needed is clear when looking at a map of wetlands in the bay and the expected rise in sea level. Lacking action in the North Bay, the level of water now expected would create new shorelines moved inland from Sausalito all the way north to Novato and over to Sonoma and Solano counties. Anyone who's parked a car in the Manzanita park-and-ride lot on an especially high tide knows the consequences of a rising sea level. The historic flood in the 1980s was made much worse because of an especially high tide, which pushed water right up Miller Avenue. In San Rafael, water inundated the downtown area, leaving just the tops of street signs visible. In a rising sea-level scenario, that high-tide consequence has an obvious impact that requires protecting shorelines, including existing marshes in danger of inundation. In Marin, the wetlands restoration at Hamilton is a notable project in part because it illustrates thenecessity to add material when restoring some marshes. When a marsh is paved or left dry the land sinks and can no longer support wetlands. Material must be added to raise the level of the land to a sufficient height to promote a renewed marsh.

Travis says it's important to understand the new shorelines projected in recent reports "are not areas that [definitely will be areas that are under water. They are maps showing low-lying areas around the bay that are vulnerable to sea-level rise. Some of those areas may be protected already. Other areas can be protected to a 55-inch level (sea-level rise) with some protective devices." Travis says the maps show "not the future that we are predicting; that is the future we are trying to prevent."

One of the methods to prevent that scenario builds on the push to restore wetlands and marshes that once ringed San Francisco Bay. Today, only about 5 percent of the original wetlands remain, and that 5 percent is under constant threat of development and pollution. But the alarm over sea-level rise is giving new impetus to the call to protect wetlands and increase their acreage.

The effort to protect wetlands received a real boost when Save the Bay formed in 1961 after three East Bay women, Kay Kerr, Sylvia McLaughlin and Esther Gulick, mobilized to stop a plan in Berkeley to double its size by filling in the bay. Save the Bay was instrumental in the creation of the Conservation and Development Commission, "which we helped create in 1965 to prevent wholesale filling in of the bay," says Save the Bay's executive director David Lewis. In 2008, Save the Bay sponsored AB 2954, which created the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. That legislation gave the governing board of the Restoration Authority the responsibility to explore, promote and coordinate methods and mechanisms to raise money on a local and regional scale that will go toward restoring wetlands on more than 36,000 acres already in public ownership.

Scientists estimate that to remain healthy, the bay needs 100,000 acres of tidal wetlands. In 1999, only about 40,000 acres remained. Another 36,000 acres already are owned by the public and can be restored--if sufficient funds are provided. Restoring those 36,000 acres will cost up to $1.43 billion over 50 years. Adding that to the current 40,000 acres of wetlands puts the 100,000-acre goal in sight, according to the Restoration Authority. Advocates hope to purchase additional acreage to put into the public trust to reach that ultimate goal.

State and federal money currently exists to help meet the goals of the Restoration Authoritybut considering budget climates, ongoing state and federal funding (and some private funding from foundations) is far from certain. "You can't count on any of this money from year to year," says Schuchat. "You're subject to whether the state is
selling bonds and (vicissitudes of the) federal budget, and so on."

That's where the idea of a regional property tax comes into the picture. The Restoration Authority is investigating whether Bay Area property owners are willing to pay about $20 a year to help restore wetlands along the bay. "If we could get some local money, we could count on it every year," says Schuchat. "It would be in addition to what's already available, and presumably it would be reliable. The amount would not be huge, but having money that is reliable is, I think, what makes it attractive. And, of course, it would serve as matching money."

Any move to raise tax money to restore wetlands would go to voters for approval. In a telephone poll conducted in the summer of 2010, 35 percent of respondents said they would definitely support a $25 parcel tax; 30 percent said they were leaning toward support. (Asked whether they would support a quarter-cent sales tax, 29 percent said they would definitely support it; 27 percent said they were leaning toward support.) The parcel tax proposal, the most realistic, came right up to the edge of a two-thirds approval margin.

Schuchat notes that the Restoration Authority has polled only up to a $25 parcel tax, which seems to be the limit of voter acceptance. "My guess is that if we do anything, it's going to be less than that, and we may not do anything in 2012. That's the earliest that the Restoration Authority could get something on a ballot. The Restoration Authority plans to conduct additional polling and by autumn decide whether to move forward in 2012. The state of the economy and the political temperature of the electorate will affect the decision."

The question about whether spending money on wetlands is a wise investment in a down economy is sure to enter the debate. In the poll, property owners seem to agree that if they know the facts about sea-level rise and how wetlands can protect shorelines--for flora, fauna, residential development and business--they may be willing to support a tax proposal.

Money raised will go toward projects already on a list "consistent with the selection criteria of the Coastal Conservancy and other organizations that protect the health and economy of the bay." Acting sooner rather than later has distinct environmental and economic advantages when it comes to combating sea-level rise, says Lewis. "Wetlands provide much less expensive and effective shoreline protection than sea walls or rock levees because wetlands can act as sponges during high tides and floods."

As Travis says, it's like magic.